Are mass killings the price of liberty?: Letters, Nov. 8, 2017

Are mass killings the price of liberty?

Another day, another horrific shooting. Each is followed by similar sorrowful images, the search for meaning in tragedy and the same vacant quotes from political leaders.

Our politicians wax eloquent on the evil and catastrophic nature of each and every incident, while failing to take a firm public stand on the underlying issue. Either gun freedom is an inalienable right of Americans and the senseless slaughter of innocents is its price, or gun freedom is a privilege to be judiciously given with proper discretion, discipline and responsibility. It is well past time to speak up and let their voices be heard so we, as voters, can decide accordingly.

Every other personal "right" Americans enjoy, from operating a motor vehicle to consuming alcohol, voting or deciding on medical treatment, has some defined threshold of responsibility, qualification or consequences, yet our politicians are loathe to put any restrictions whatsoever on guns, much to the delight and patronage of the National Rifle Association, regardless of the carnage.

Instead, they would spend billions in tax dollars to shield us from the danger of illegal immigrants and billions more on security at airports searching for potential foreign terrorists, while the real terrorists in our culture are at the music concert, the school, the Walmart or, yes, even the church. We have seen the enemy, and the enemy is us ... and we are armed.

It is time to get our priorities straight and take a stand. It has become clear that our management of weapon ownership, while a constitutional right, is a dismal and dangerous failure. If mass killing after mass killing is the price of our liberty, then stand up and say so instead of hiding behind sorrowful platitudes and regrets. If not, step forward, stand tall and take decisive action to stop this outrage.

Michael Beckley, Knoxville

Unite, speak up against wrongdoing

I'm sad to see how our national politics are affecting not only Washington, D.C., but the rest of the country. What's happening to our common sense these days?

What happened to leaders who showed respect in their words and actions in America and the world? Why are religious communities of all faiths, ethnic leaders in America and the world, and regular men and women not denouncing the hate and risk of war in America and the world?

Why are we staying silent when we see something wrong? This isn’t the America I grew up to know and admire. We can't and shouldn't turn a blind eye to wrongdoing in America and the world. Others' problems are our problems, too.

I want to thank those leaders and people who work hard to keep our country and our people safely together. I'm very grateful to the men and women in this country who put our country's needs before their own personal needs.

We can't, we shouldn't and we mustn't divide ourselves into small groups. We'll all lose if we do this.